Pedestrian Promenades

During my recent travels, I have seen a number of notable walkways along waterfronts, beside city streets, and through urban and suburban parks. Well-designed pedestrian ways have ample width for movement and social interaction, and include visually-unifying elements throughout, such as a continuous paving pattern and repeated furnishings and plantings. These promenades should also be designed to correspond with the character of their surroundings, as well as provide a pleasant and safe experience for pedestrians.

 

The transit mall in downtown Portland, Oregon, has wide sidewalks with decorative pavement, beside streets that have traffic lanes reserved for light rail and buses. The walkways include these attractive clear transit shelters.

 

A boardwalk runs along NW 10th Avenue in Portland, Oregon for 4 blocks between two parks. It’s unusual to see a wooden walkway along an urban street. This section, which is adjacent to Jameson Square, is wide enough for a double row of trees – a pleasant place to take a stroll.

 

Eye-catching pavement pattern along a portion of Northern Avenue, adjacent to the Fan Pier Public Green in South Boston, Massachusetts

 

Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, North Carolina, was turned into a pedestrian mall in the 1970s, but the street was added back in 2006 along with these wide sidewalks with decorative planters, benches, lights, and other features. This corridor’s revitalization is reported to be a success in terms of bringing in more business.

 

The Church Street Marketplace, in Burlington, Vermont, has been in place since 1981, and is one of the few continuously successful pedestrian malls in the U.S. This lively promenade is full of retail stores and restaurants with outdoor seating areas.

 

This park in Clayton, Missouri, includes a linear lawn space extending between two streets, bordered by two walkways. Seating areas and plantings line the edges of the promenade. Not many people were outside on this cold day in late October.

 

A simple but attractive pavement design along a street in Clayton, Missouri

 

This beautifully-patterned brick walkway winds its way through Walnut Street Park in Cary, North Carolina.

 

This curvilinear promenade runs along part of the ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is surfaced with concrete in contrasting colors and textures.

 

Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, is bounded by a boardwalk which includes nautical-style lighting, granite bollards, and swinging benches.

 

The Mall in Central Park, New York City, is an example of a historic promenade with lovely old trees.

 

Photos by Alice Webb

Portland Japanese Garden

In Portland, Oregon, there is a lovely 5.5-acre Japanese garden situated in a hilly area west of the city center, within Washington Park. It is considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. I visited this serene setting in May a couple of years ago, and would like to share some of my photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Alice Webb

Plants for all Seasons

After deciduous trees have shed their leaves in cold climates, the landscape need not be a boring and drab scene. There are a number of plants that display ornamental characteristics during the chillier months of the year, sporting colorful and interesting bark, stems, fruits, and seeds. Below are a few examples that should brighten your day!

 

A stunning display of Bloodtwig Dogwoods

 

Crabapple fruit against a backdrop of fallen Ginkgo leaves

 

Hydrangea seed heads add visual interest to the winter landscape.

 

The bark of this River Birch appears to glow in the sun.

 

Although ornamental grasses die back in winter, leaving their flower stems and foliage in place until spring adds color and texture to winter landscapes.

 

Brightly-colored Weeping Willow branches enhance a snowy park scene.

 

Photos by Alice Webb

Citygarden, Saint Louis

Citygarden is a relatively new (2009) sculpture park in downtown Saint Louis, Missouri, which I visited in late October of 2012. It encompasses two city blocks, and features over 20 works of art. The design of this park was inspired by the natural characteristics of the region’s river environments. Along the northern edge of the property, urban terraces represent river bluffs; the central, lower segment loosely depicts a flood plain; and a serpentine seat wall symbolizes a river as it winds along the southern section of the park. In addition, Citygarden has several sustainable features, including six rain gardens and a green roof on the park’s café.

 

All features at Citygarden are meant to be experienced – there are no “Do not touch” signs to be found at the park. In warmer months, a thin sheet of water runs down the Tilted Disc in front of this sculpture.

 

A series of steel arcs is one of the first sculptures in view when entering the park from the east. The Limestone Arc Wall, which gently curves across the length of the park, can be seen in the background.

 

The long, rectangular Split Basin is situated in the northeast quadrant of the park. There are two levels to this basin, with a waterfall in between, where the Limestone Arc Wall intersects it. A modernist café is situated to the right in this photo.

 

Arc sculptures as seen from above the Split Basin’s waterfall

 

The lower portion of the Split Basin includes stepping stones.

 

Park visitors check out the Video Wall.

 

The granite Meander Wall separates lawn from lush plantings

 

The Meander Wall continues along the southern section of the park, for 1,100 feet.

 

“The Door of Return” stands along the park’s central walkway. In summer, the Spray Plaza, behind this sculpture, includes numerous vertical water jets that spray in various patterns, with dancing lights at night.

 

“Scarecrow” stands guard along a wooded walkway.

 

“Zenit” adorns the summit of a hill at the park’s northwest corner.

 

View from the park’s high point, facing southeast

 

Playful rabbit sculpture at the park’s west end

 

Photos by Alice Webb

Rooftop Retreat: A Hospital’s Healing Garden

The Olson Family Garden at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

 

In recent years, outdoor garden spaces at hospitals have become more common, and are often included with the construction of new health care facilities. They are usually referred to as therapeutic or healing gardens. Studies have shown that access to nature in hospital settings can reduce pain and relieve stress, which in turn enhances the immune system and speeds healing. Patients aren’t the only ones to benefit; their families and heath care staff can attain relaxation in these spaces as well.

In October I had the pleasure of visiting the Olson Family Garden at St. Louis Children’s Hospital (in St. Louis, Missouri). The staff horticultural therapist kindly gave me a tour of this delightful space. Built in the late 1990s, this 8,000-square-foot rooftop garden is dominated by a lush array of greenery, mostly in raised planters, and also seasonally in movable pots. An abundance of plant materials is important in any type of outdoor healing setting. This space also includes winding paths; stepping stones through a shallow pool; fountains; interesting and fanciful art pieces; a goldfish pond; various resting spots; movable furniture; and telescopes for viewing a large park near the hospital grounds. Furthermore, the garden is lit for nighttime access and viewing.

This garden isn’t just for passive enjoyment, however. Horticultural therapy sessions are facilitated in this space, where patients engage in gardening and associated activities. These sessions have many social, psychological, physical, and cognitive benefits. In addition, programs involving crafts, puppet shows, music, and storytelling brighten the spirits of the children.

 

This beautiful scene in the garden is in springtime, viewed from the entrance. A rolling sphere fountain can be seen in the foreground. Blooming Redbud trees are situated in front of a circle of columns topped with translucent leaf-shaped panels, symbolizing nature.

 

This miniature garden appeals to all ages.

 

Stepping stones cross a wading pool…

 

…and continue between two raised planters.

 

The garden’s goldfish pond

 

A restful nook with playful windows overlooking Forest Park

 

A custom-made planter with kid- and adult- level kaleidoscopes

 

In the foreground is one of several fountains in the garden (turned off for the season). Long-range telescopes, in the background, allow visitors to view Forest Park.

 

A wonderfully whimsical art piece

 

First four photos by Gary Wangler, Horticultural Therapist, St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Remaining photos by Alice Webb, blog author

Site Furniture with Flair

Outdoor benches need not be ordinary – I’m often searching for one-of-a-kind seats, which seem to be a rarity among a profusion of manufactured site furnishings. Below are a few examples of unique seating opportunities that I’ve encountered on my treks through parks, gardens, and along urban streets.

 

“Talk tube” benches flank the entrance to Marla Dorrel Park, Cary, NC. These were created by an artist.

 

One of many “peel-up” benches on the High Line in New York City

 

A protruding slab of stone in this wall serves nicely as a bench. It’s located at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.

 

Here is a series of curved benches at West Podium Park in Boston. Note that the width of each bench narrows from one end to the other.

 

Artist-created fish bench in Eastport Park, Boston

 

Clever melding of bench with building at South Boston Maritime Park

 

The following photos are of semi-permanent benches and chairs in downtown Belfast, Maine. Each was designed and built by an artist or craftsperson as part of the town’s “Please be Seated” project. They are bolted to the pavement and kept in place for part of one year (June through October). These are some of the 2012 installations.

 

“Isn’t it Grand” bench

 

“Birch Perch” bench

 

“Buoy-oh-Buoy” bench

 

“Elemental Earth” bench

 

“Adirondack Red Magnum” chair (made from slats of a wine barrel)

 

“Catch a Wave” bench

 

“The Nest” seat

 

Photos by Alice Webb

Planting Fields: A Historic Arboretum

A grand estate built in 1904 in Oyster Bay, Long Island, Planting Fields is now a public arboretum owned by the State of New York. This spacious site includes a restored mansion with adjacent sweeping lawn areas bounded by large specimen trees; formal gardens and fountains; extensive plant collections; numerous woodland trails; tropical greenhouses; and other structures and spaces of historic value. There were several designers involved in planning this property over the years, including the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm of Brookline, Massachusetts, who oversaw projects from 1918 until 1944. Below are a few images of the property that I took during a visit this summer.

 

Colorful blooms at the Arboretum Center

 

Vegetation covers a wall near the Rose and Pool Gardens

 

The Italian Blue Pool Garden

 

Perennials at the Pool Garden

 

Perennials at the Pool Garden

 

A pleasant, shady trail

 

Parrotia persica in the Synoptic Garden

 

The Synoptic Garden includes an extensive plant collection.

 

Coe Hall (north side)

 

Coe Hall (south side)

 

East Lawn near Coe Hall

 

Photos by Alice Webb